Even' Star Organic Farm

Our 104 acre farm is located in St. Mary's County, Maryland. All of our 54 acres of open land and 50 acres of forest are certified organic. We steward our soils and our ecosystems to maximize biodiversity, to protect breeding habitat for uncommon or threatened species, and to promote environmental and watershed health. We lovingly nurture our land to minimize habitat disturbance.We grow large amounts of flavorful and impeccably safe foods without endangering the ecosystems, our workers, or ourselves. We farm using only those organic practices that truly respect the environment. We build strong and lasting relationships between our farm and our customers, by growing great foods that are both affordably priced and that have a minimal environmental impact. By feeding large numbers of loyal customers, by constantly managing risk, by diversifying, and by working most diligently, we keep our business foundation financially sound. Great foods, great sales, and loyal customers build strong farms.We sell our products through community-supported agriculture subscriptions (shares), at the Chevy Chase Farmers Market, and wholesale to several universities, stores and restaurants in the DC metro area. We offer three kinds of subscriptions annually. The average value of each weekly delivery is $27. The contents of the boxes are designed to feed a couple or small family with a lot of seasonal, diverse options. We strive for six CSA items per week. Deliveries are made to neighborhood sites, usually on Thursday morning or available for pick-up on the farm. Orion Rising Winter Share: Pre-assembled boxes, delivered for twenty weeks from the first week of November until late April. Our winter share is about the diverse bounty of choice crops rationally grown in the cool months. 2010 cost: $580, split between two payments. High Summer Share: Pre-assembled boxes, delivered for thirteen weeks primarily July through September, with a possible week or two in June or mid-October. Please be aware that certain summer crops are either extremely hard or impossible to grow in this region without spraying (especially cherries, peaches, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet corn). As certified organic growers, we cannot offer these. The summer crops that we do grow range from tomatoes (26 kinds), cucumbers, herbs, okra, sweet potatoes, peppers, cantaloupes, watermelon, to sweet onions and more. 2011 cost: $361. High Summer Farmers Market Option: Twenty-six total weeks from May to October. CSA members may come to the farm itself (Fridays 12 noon to 4:00 sharp) or the Chevy Chase Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm) to choose their own foods, quantities, and even which weeks. The cost of this option, decided by the CSA member, is $300, $400, or $500. Balances at the end of the season are donated to a soup kitchen.Unlike the few other winter CSAs on the Eastern seaboard, we do not buy goods from far away, repackage them, and then pretend that local agriculture is being supported. We grow our own foods and strictly these go to the CSA members. This guarantees both your safe eating and our own high standards for food quality.We are professional farmers. We do not like the traditional CSA idea of shared risk and have omitted it from the Even' Star Organic Farm Subscription Service. Barring a tornado or an accurate lightning strike, our customers will reliably receive the lion's share of the diverse, lovely, in-season produce that we grow. You deserve such dependability and we value your loyalty more than we can express. We also do not require any farm work from members. Dining with the Seasons: Even Star Cookbook: Brett and chef-friend Julia Shanks have created a very useful cookbook to help CSA members easily and deliciously prepare the diverse foods we grow. The newly revised and expanded edition is available online athttps://www.createspace.com3518247/. Brett and Julia's total restaurant cooking experience tops 35 years.Emails: Each week, subscribers receive an email with information about the week's box contents, recipes additional to the Even Star Cookbook and news about the farm. For more information or to purchase a share, please email Brett at: evenstarfarm@evenstarfarm.org.

Extra Products: Orion Rising Winter Share: Pre-assembled boxes, delivered for twenty weeks from the first week of November until late April. Our winter share is about the diverse bounty of choice crops rationally grown in the cool months. High Summer Share: Pre-assembled boxes, delivered for thirteen weeks primarily July through September, with a possible week or two in June or mid-October. Please be aware that certain summer crops are either extremely hard or impossible to grow in this region without spraying (especially cherries, peaches, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet corn). As certified organic growers, we cannot offer these. The summer crops that we do grow range from tomatoes (26 kinds), cucumbers, herbs, okra, sweet potatoes, peppers, cantaloupes, watermelon, to sweet onions and more. High Summer Farmers Market Option: Twenty-six total weeks from May to October. CSA members may come to the farm itself (Fridays 12 noon to 4:00 sharp) or the Chevy Chase

Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9 am to 1 pm) to choose their own foods, quantities, and even which weeks. The cost of this option, decided by the CSA member, is $300, $400, or $500. Balances at the end of the season are donated to a soup kitchen. Farmers Market: Chevy Chase Farmers' Market, Chevy Chase, Washington DCHomegrown Market, Lexington Park

Certified Organic: Yes

Memberships and Certifications: Maryland Certified Organic

Farming Practices: Certified Organic